Feasibility of Inguinal Hernia as an Early Phase Surgical Training for Junior Resident

Chihiro Kosugi, Hideki Yasuda, Keiji Koda, Masato Suzuki, Masato Yamazaki, Tohru Tezuka, Ryota Higuchi, Atsushi Hirano, Syuuichirou Uemura and Hironori Tsuchiya

Department of Surgery, Teikyo University Chiba Medical Center

Purpose: We clarified the feasibility of inguinal hernia surgery by junior residents. Materials & Methods: We analyzed 139 retrospective cases of radical inguinal hernia surgery between April 2005 and December 2007. Of these, 134 involved mesh-plug repair and 5 Prolene hernia repair. We retrospectively compared the recurrence rate, the rate of complications, blood loss volume, operating time, and the length of postoperative hospital stay between patients treated surgically by junior residents (group R, n=72) and those treated by surgical staff (group S, n=67). Results: Total rates of recurrence and complication were 5.8% in group R and 8.6% in group S, respectively. Significant statistical differences were seen between groups in recurrence rate (group R, 9.7%; group S, 1.5%: p<0.05) and operating time (group R, 88 min; group S, 64 min: p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was seen in blood loss volume, rate of complications, or the length of postoperative hospital stay. Conclusions: The incidence of short-term complications in inguinal hernia surgery conducted by junior residents was identical to that of surgical staff. The high recurrence rate seen in inguinal hernia surgery by junior residents evoked, however, the need to implement surgical treatment guidelines for junior residents.

Key words
inguinal hernia, junior resident, surgical treatment, complication, recurrence

Reprint requests
Chihiro Kosugi Department of Surgery, Teikyo University Chiba Medical Center
3426-3 Anesaki, Ichihara, 299-0111 JAPAN

Accepted
November 19, 2008

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